The present invention relates to a copy information output device for a copier of the type managing a number of modes by use of a nonvolatile memory or the like.
It has been customary to provide a copier with a number of dip switches which are operable to select particular operation modes of the copier, e.g. buzzer on and off modes and copy up-count and copy down-count modes. A current trend in the copier art, however, is toward the use of a nonvolatile memory such as a nonvolatile RAM (random access memory), in place of the dip switches, i.e., replacing ONs and OFFs of dip switches with ONEs and ZEROS of the bits of a nonvolatile memory by hardware. Such a trend owes a great deal to the cut-down of cost of nonvolatile memories recently realized.
While the dip switch scheme stated above allows one to see all the modes currently set up at a galance, the nonvolatile RAM scheme fails to do so and, therefore, forces one to check the modes taking a substantial period of time. For example, to see the current modes, one has to select a test mode, then manipulate numeral keys to enter a particular number which is assigned to a desired mode so as to cause a symbol and numerals to appear on a display, and then compare the symbol and numerals with a code table. To check another item, he or she has to repeat the above sequence of steps beginning with the manipulation of the numeral keys. Further, when the modes in which a copier is set are to be confirmed and compiled as data, as would be desired in the event of maintenance and others of the copier, it is necessary for one to transfer the codes appearing on a display one by one. Especially, the data transferred have to be preserved lest the RAM should fail. In this manner, the prior are nonvolatile memory scheme suffers from a drawback that the mode checking and data preserving work is troublesome and time-consuming.